Lovage (Levisticum officinale) this reliable Hardy Perennial is one of the first pants to shoot up in spring. Here on Southern Vancouver Island, it has sprouted up over a foot by the end of March. It is easy to grow but give this plant a lot of room in your garden as it grows over 2 M high.

Leaves have excellent celery like flavor and is used soups, stews and casseroles. The seeds whole or ground are used in pickling brine, cheese spreads, dressings and sauces. Here are a few ideas.

Chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium ) has been a popular culinary and medicinal herb since before the times of the Roman Empire. However recently, it seems to be out of favor. To bad , it has a lot going for it …. it’s delicate anise flavor adds depth to a green salad, also it is part of the French herb combination ” Fines Herbes” used as a herb base for many culinary masterpieces. This short lived annual is easy to grow, can be harvested all year and self seeds readily, so keep a moist partial shade area of your herb garden reserved for a Chervil corner.

Bloodroot ( Sanguinaria canadensis ) is native to eastern Canada and an early bloomer here on Vancouver Island. Bloodroot has been used as a red dye by native artists. It is a member of the Papaveraceae (poppy) family.